Irene Njeri Komo

On Thursday, July 21st, 2022, Irene Njeri Komo, loving sister and mother, passed away at age 80. Irene Njeri, the last of 15 children was born on April 30th, 1942, in Muranga, Kenya to Elizabeth Wairimu and James Njuki Munano.

She was trained as an Extension Services Worker who was selected to attend Iowa State University in Des Moines, Iowa to further her studies in 1963. While in Iowa, Irene attended a foreign students dance where she met her future husband Muruku Waiguchu. She returned to Kenya after completing the agricultural program in Iowa and returned in 1965. Irene and Muruku married later that year. Lisa, their beloved daughter was born the next year in 1966.

After relocating to Flushing Queens with her family in 1967, she went on to receive a Masters’ Degrees from Columbia University in New York. The first in Nutrition in 1973 and a Master’s in Public Health in 1977. She was a nutritionist and dietician who worked as a licensed practitioner on both the east and west Coasts.

In 1982, Irene met and married her second husband, Cyrus Komo. It was then she relocated to the Bay Area in California. In the early 1980’s she opened and ran Kenya Impex, a successful business that sold various African artifacts in California until 2006.

Irene was a devout Seventh Day Adventist and was passionately active in her church. In 2006, she along with survived sister Sarah Wambui, founded the Harambee Children’s Project (HCP). HCP started in 2006 as a non-profit organization founded to meet the needs of orphans because of the AIDS pandemic in Gituto, one of the Districts in Muranga, Kenya.

She loved music and nice cars. She was known for her quick wit, her humor and her sweet and compassionate spirit.

Irene is survived by her daughter Lisa, her brother Daniel Kagucia, sister Sarah Wambui Munano, step siblings Elizabeth Wambui, Peter Munano, Muiruri, Makumi, Njeri and several nieces, and nephews in the US, Europe and Kenya.

A private memorial service will be held on Friday, August 12th, 2022 at the Beltsville Seventh Day Adventist Church at 11.00am. In Lieu of flowers, please consider a tribute donation on behalf of Irene to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).